Shooting on the Burrard Bridge with the Canon Powershot

Last night I ended up walking along the sea wall down at English Bay and took some photos of the Burrard Bridge. Here is one of those images from last night. I did do some editing in Photoshop to play with the hues but the composition is directly from the camera. I got to say, ever since I got the Canon Powershot s110, I've been taking alot more photos and editing them. I'm still learning to use the camera but they look OK so far. I'm also messing with new techniques for editing in Photoshop. I got a bunch more and I'll add then as I get time.

Check here to see the before and after for the photo »

Darvin K. Manwah: Digital Compositor at Zoic Studios (Vancouver) & Matte Painter
Online Portfolio, Personal Blog and ACM SIGGRAPH Portfolio Review Mentor

Online Movie Rentals & Disney Movies

So, I wanted to share some thoughts I had floating around in terms of the movie industry. I used to visit the open theaters back in Trinidad where we'd pull in with our cars, park next to a miniature standing speaker and wait till it got dark to see the movie on the giant movie projector. Transitioning to that, now there's movie rentals online or access to buy movies online. Everything seems to be moving digitally and it's all about online movies recently. Then I remember watching lion king movies, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Peter Pan or even The Little Mermaid movie on weekends flocking to see the latest on that impressive movie projector at the time. It was the greatest movie experience at the time and probably will be for years to come. Even here in Vancouver you can go to the David Lam Park and see open nights on a movie projector on Saturdays with friends.

The craze is all about digital content for on line movies with the ability to rent movies almost any specific time you want. Before you'd have to drive to movie clubs to get decently cheap movies but now you have the ability of downloading movies online. You can even download movies or have streaming movies online for the iPad and iPhone which personally I think it's a tad bit too small.

I don't know many people who would download movies legally anymore but I think it's on the rise towards being able to rent movies online. If I had a TV I'd probably have movie on demand or have a movie rental service of some sort.

I have a few vintage movie posters at home I'm sure and it was fun to have them on the walls in my room. I never really got into the craze of collecting them though, just the random ones I always got from time to time. Now that I work for TV I guess the ideas change over time and understanding the amount of work and time it takes to have a single movie made and the incredibly talented people to make it all happen makes it harder to not purchase the movies. At the end of the day, it's all about change and moving with the time and keeping up with what viewers want.

What's Your Fav Disney Movie? Leave it in the Comments Below.

Darvin K. Manwah: Digital Compositor at Zoic Studios (Vancouver) & Matte Painter
Online Portfolio, Personal Blog and ACM SIGGRAPH Portfolio Review Mentor

10 Reminders for the Wild and Free

What's Your 10 Reminders?

So I saw this video and had to post it. It reminds me of the amazing summer I had in Anaheim earlier this year for SIGGRAPH. Sometimes we get tied up in our daily lives that we forget to live. Here are 10 reminders why sometimes we just got to put down the work bags and get out of the office.

1. Unplug and explore nature
2. Never grow up
3. Take the leap
4. Find a beautiful place and get lost in it
5. Nothing cures fear faster than actions
6. When nothing is certain anything is possible
7. Live unbound
8. Plant a tree
9. Don't quit your day dream
10. What do you think 10 should be? Leave it in the comments below and let me know.

Darvin K. Manwah: Digital Compositor at Zoic Studios (Vancouver) & Matte Painter
Online Portfolio, Personal Blog and ACM SIGGRAPH Portfolio Review Mentor

Youtube Preview Commercials and Ads

Best Youtube Commercials and Ads

Recently I've been on Youtube alot more than usual, mainly looking at various channels and seeing how Youtube is slowly progressing into the mainstream entertainment as compared to Television. I didn't even know that Youtube offered Movies and TV Shows to subscribe to as compared to having an actual Youtube Channel. Based on what I've seen if you're a Youtube Partner and you have a descent following, then your channel will become part of the their content source for TV Shows. You get all of this plus tons more content at the cost of a monthly internet bill. I don't have a Television and I'm glad I don't because I appreciate the content on Youtube a whole lot more and the best part if that you can relate to the Youtuber alot more.

I'm still a huge TV Series fan though so I'm all for the Shows still, I even work on a few at the moment, Falling Skies and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Back to the original point, here are a few Youtube Commercials I've seen that sticks out for me. Let me know what you think in the comments below of the ads and also your take on Youtube becoming the new Main Stream Entertainment Network against Television.

Star Wars - The Old Republic Live Action Trailer

Hardbite Chips - You Live Here Ad

Guinness Basketball Commercial

Raebok Crosby SC87 Training Collection

2014 Yamaha Viper - Every Viper Has Its Venom Ad

The BMW 4 Series Coupé

Darvin K. Manwah: Digital Compositor at Zoic Studios (Vancouver) & Matte Painter
Online Portfolio, Personal Blog and ACM SIGGRAPH Portfolio Review Mentor